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Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than their white counterparts to believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts can increase discrimination, according to a new Associated Press-NORC poll.

About four in 10 black adults and about one-third of Hispanics say that DEI increases unintended discrimination against their respective groups, compared to one-fourth of white adults.

These numbers come as universities face growing public and legal scrutiny over DEI-driven hiring and admissions.

George Mason University is scrambling to reverse its DEI hiring policies after a John Sailer exposé accused President Gregory Washington of civil rights violations. Colin Wright – an evolutionary biologist – is suing Cornell University for allegedly discriminating against him to recruit a “diversity hire.” And Columbia University recently agreed to a $200 million settlement after allegedly violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Democrats have framed these developments as regressive and racist. But the new poll shows that a plurality of black and Hispanic Americans aren’t buying that characterization.

For many black and Hispanic Americans, the fight against DEI isn’t about resisting progress – it’s about preserving dignity. The left has marketed DEI as redress for historical wrongs. But for young black Americans like me, the unspoken message is clear – and condescending: We cannot succeed without special treatment.

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That’s why young black Americans like me are leading the exodus from the Democratic Party. Pew data shows that 28% of black Republicans are ages 18-29 – nearly twice the share of black Democrats in that age range.

We’re not abandoning progress. We’re rejecting policies that suggest we can’t compete with our fellow Americans – and a framework that ties our worth to grievance. We want what every American deserves: the freedom and dignity of self-determination, grounded in merit and the content of our character.

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